0
Your cart

Your cart is empty

Browse All Departments
Price
  • R50 - R100 (7)
  • R100 - R250 (361)
  • R250 - R500 (1,040)
  • R500+ (6,230)
  • -
Status
Format
Author / Contributor
Publisher

Books > Humanities > Philosophy > Western philosophy > Ancient Western philosophy to c 500 > General

Wallace Stevens and Pre-Socratic Philosophy - Metaphysics and the Play of Violence (Paperback): Daniel Tompsett Wallace Stevens and Pre-Socratic Philosophy - Metaphysics and the Play of Violence (Paperback)
Daniel Tompsett
R1,362 Discovery Miles 13 620 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

This book studies Wallace Stevens and pre-Socratic philosophy, showing how concepts that animate Stevens' poetry parallel concepts and techniques found in the poetic works of Parmenides, Empedocles, and Xenophanes, and in the fragments of Heraclitus. Tompsett traces the transition of pre-Socratic ideas into poetry and philosophy of the post-Kantian period, assessing the impact that the mythologies associated with pre-Socratism have had on structures of metaphysical thought that are still found in poetry and philosophy today. This transition is treated as becoming increasingly important as poetic and philosophic forms have progressively taken on the existential burden of our post-theological age. Tompsett argues that Stevens' poetry attempts to 'play' its audience into an ontological ground in an effort to show that his 'reduction of metaphysics' is not dry philosophical imposition, but is enacted by our encounter with the poems themselves. Through an analysis of the language and form of Stevens' poems, Tompsett uncovers the mythology his poetry shares with certain pre-Socratics and with Greek tragedy. This shows how such mythic rhythms are apparent within the work of Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger and Hans-Georg Gadamer, and how these rhythms release a poetic understanding of the violence of a 'reduction of metaphysics.'

Peirce on Perception and Reasoning - From Icons to Logic (Hardcover): Kathleen A Hull, Richard Kenneth Atkins Peirce on Perception and Reasoning - From Icons to Logic (Hardcover)
Kathleen A Hull, Richard Kenneth Atkins
R3,907 Discovery Miles 39 070 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The founder of both American pragmatism and semiotics, Charles Sanders Peirce (1839-1914) is widely regarded as an enormously important and pioneering theorist. In this book, scholars from around the world examine the nature and significance of Peirce's work on perception, iconicity, and diagrammatic thinking. Abjuring any strict dichotomy between presentational and representational mental activity, Peirce's theories transform the Aristotelian, Humean, and Kantian paradigms that continue to hold sway today and, in so doing, forge a new path for understanding the centrality of visual thinking in science, education, art, and communication. The essays in this collection cover a wide range of issues related to Peirce's theories, including the perception of generality; the legacy of ideas being copies of impressions; imagination and its contribution to knowledge; logical graphs, diagrams, and the question of whether their iconicity distinguishes them from other sorts of symbolic notation; how images and diagrams contribute to scientific discovery and make it possible to perceive formal relations; and the importance and danger of using diagrams to convey scientific ideas. This book is a key resource for scholars interested in Perice's philosophy and its relation to contemporary issues in mathematics, philosophy of mind, philosophy of perception, semiotics, logic, visual thinking, and cognitive science.

Themes in Neoplatonic and Aristotelian Logic - Order, Negation and Abstraction (Paperback): John N. Martin Themes in Neoplatonic and Aristotelian Logic - Order, Negation and Abstraction (Paperback)
John N. Martin
R1,528 Discovery Miles 15 280 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Were the most serious philosophers of the millennium 200 A.D. to 1200 A.D. just confused mystics? This book shows otherwise. John Martin rehabilitates Neoplatonism, founded by Plotinus and brought into Christianity by St. Augustine. The Neoplatonists devise ranking predicates like good, excellent, perfect to divide the Chain of Being, and use the predicate intensifier hyper so that it becomes a valid logical argument to reason from God is not (merely) good to God is hyper-good. In this way the relational facts underlying reality find expression in Aristotle's subject-predicate statements, and the Platonic tradition proves able to subsume Aristotle's logic while at the same time rejecting his metaphysics. In the Middle Ages when Aristotle's larger philosophy was recovered and joined again to the Neoplatonic tradition which was never lost, Neoplatonic logic lived along side Aristotle's metaphysics in a sometime confusing and unsettled way. Showing Neoplatonism to be significantly richer in its logical and philosophical ideas than it is usually given credit for, this book will be of interest not just to historians of logic, but to philosophers, logicians, linguists, and theologians.

Plato's Dialectic on Woman - Equal, Therefore Inferior (Paperback): Elena Blair Plato's Dialectic on Woman - Equal, Therefore Inferior (Paperback)
Elena Blair
R1,234 Discovery Miles 12 340 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

With the birth of the feminist movement classicists, philosophers, educational experts, and psychologists, all challenged by the question of whether or not Plato was a feminist, began to examine Plato's dialogues in search of his conception of woman. The possibility arose of a new focus affecting the view of texts written more than two thousand years in the past. And yet, in spite of the recent surge of interest on woman in Plato, no comprehensive work identifying his position on the subject has yet appeared. This book considers not only the totality of Plato's texts on woman and the feminine, but also their place within both his philosophy and the historical context in which it developed. But this book is not merely a textual study situating the subject of woman philosophically and historically; it also uncovers the implications hidden in the texts and the relationships that follow from them. It draws an image of the Platonic woman as rich and full as the textual and historical information allows, offering new and sometimes unexpected results beyond the topic of woman, illuminating aspects of Plato's work that are of relevance to Platonic studies in general.

Economics, Ethics, and Ancient Thought - Towards a virtuous public policy (Hardcover): Donald G. Richards Economics, Ethics, and Ancient Thought - Towards a virtuous public policy (Hardcover)
Donald G. Richards
R4,353 Discovery Miles 43 530 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

It is argued that the normative and ethical presuppositions of standard economics render the discipline incapable of addressing an important class of problems involving human choices. Economics adopts too thin an account both of human motivation and of "the good" for individuals and for society. It is recommended that economists and policy-makers look back to ancient philosophy for guidance on the good life and good society considered in terms of eudaimonism, or human flourishing. Economics, Ethics, and Ancient Thought begins by outlining the limitations of the normative and ethical presuppositions that underpin standard economic theory, before going on to suggest alternative normative and ethical traditions that can supplement or replace those associated with standard economic thinking. In particular, this book considers the ethical thought of ancient thinkers, particularly the ancient Greeks and their concept of eudaimonia, arguing that within those traditions better alternatives can be found to the rational choice utilitarianism characteristic of modern economic theory and policy. This volume is of great interest to those who study economic theory and philosophy, history of economic thought and philosophy of social science, as well as public policy professionals.

Routledge Library Editions: Idealism - 4 Volume Set (Hardcover): Various Authors Routledge Library Editions: Idealism - 4 Volume Set (Hardcover)
Various Authors
R11,885 Discovery Miles 118 850 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Spanning the twentieth century, this 4-volume set contains titles originally published between 1935 and 1990. The volumes explore the concept of Idealism from its roots in the theories of Plato, discussing many other philosophers and their perspectives, as views have developed through the centuries, to more modern interpretations.

The Tragedy of Reason - Toward a Platonic Conception of Logos (Hardcover): David Roochnik The Tragedy of Reason - Toward a Platonic Conception of Logos (Hardcover)
David Roochnik
R3,040 Discovery Miles 30 400 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The classical conception of reason (or logos) has been repeatedly attacked in the modern era. Its enemies range from Descartes, who complains that logos is not sufficiently useful or precise, to Derrida who hopes to liberate Western thought from its bondage to "logocentrism." At least since the time of Nietzsche, Plato has been damned as the chief architect of the classical conception of logos. He is accused of overvaluing reason and thereby devaluing the other, more human aspects of life. As it was originally formulated in Nietzsche's The Birth of Tragedy, Plato has been taken to be the arch-enemy of tragedy, which for Nietzsche was the most life-affirming of all the art forms of Greek culture. Originally published in 1990, The Tragedy of Reason defends Plato against his accusers. Employing a mode of exposition which exhibits Plato's position, Roochnik presents the Platonic conception of logos in confrontation with texts by Homer, Hesiod, Heraclitus, Aristotle, Descartes, Porty, and Derrida. In clear language, unencumbered by technical terminology, Roochnik shows that Platonic conception of logos is keenly aware of the strength of its opponents. The result is a presentation of Plato as a "tragic philosopher" whose conception of logos is characterized by an affirmation of its own limits as well as its goodness.

Neoplatonism of the Italian Renaissance (Hardcover): Nesca A. Robb Neoplatonism of the Italian Renaissance (Hardcover)
Nesca A. Robb
R3,470 Discovery Miles 34 700 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Originally published in 1935, the aim of this title is first to give a clear outline of Florentine Neoplatonism, and then to consider its influence on art and literature during a period that extends roughly from the age of Lorenzo de' Medici to the middle of the sixteenth century and the beginnings of the Counter-Reformation. No rigid divisions of time have been fixed, but with few exceptions the works discussed may be placed between these bounds. Even within these limits it would require a work of greater dimensions that the present to exhaust so large a subject in all its bearings. The leaven of Neoplatonism had penetrated the thought of the age in many directions; this study is confined to such of its manifestations as were, in a somewhat narrow sense, artistic and literary and to the use and abuse of philosophical ideas for aesthetic purposes.

How to Grow Old - Ancient Wisdom for the Second Half of Life (Hardcover): Marcus Tullius Cicero How to Grow Old - Ancient Wisdom for the Second Half of Life (Hardcover)
Marcus Tullius Cicero; Translated by Philip Freeman; Introduction by Philip Freeman
R469 R378 Discovery Miles 3 780 Save R91 (19%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Worried that old age will inevitably mean losing your libido, your health, and possibly your marbles too? Well, Cicero has some good news for you. In How to Grow Old, the great Roman orator and statesman eloquently describes how you can make the second half of life the best part of all--and why you might discover that reading and gardening are actually far more pleasurable than sex ever was. Filled with timeless wisdom and practical guidance, Cicero's brief, charming classic--written in 44 BC and originally titled On Old Age--has delighted and inspired readers, from Saint Augustine to Thomas Jefferson, for more than two thousand years. Presented here in a lively new translation with an informative new introduction and the original Latin on facing pages, the book directly addresses the greatest fears of growing older and persuasively argues why these worries are greatly exaggerated--or altogether mistaken. Montaigne said Cicero's book "gives one an appetite for growing old." The American founding father John Adams read it repeatedly in his later years. And today its lessons are more relevant than ever in a world obsessed with the futile pursuit of youth.

Nietzsche and the Philosophers (Hardcover): Mark T. Conard Nietzsche and the Philosophers (Hardcover)
Mark T. Conard
R4,353 Discovery Miles 43 530 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Nietzsche is undoubtedly one of the most original and influential thinkers in the history of philosophy. With ideas such as the overman, will to power, the eternal recurrence, and perspectivism, Nietzsche challenges us to reconceive how it is that we know and understand the world, and what it means to be a human being. Further, in his works, he not only grapples with previous great philosophers and their ideas, but he also calls into question and redefines what it means to do philosophy. Nietzsche and the Philosophers for the first time sets out to examine explicitly Nietzsche's relationship to his most important predecessors. This anthology includes essays by many of the leading Nietzsche scholars, including Keith Ansell-Pearson, Daniel Conway, Tracy B. Strong, Gary Shapiro, Babette Babich, Mark Anderson, and Paul S. Loeb. These excellent writers discuss Nietzsche's engagement with such figures as Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Socrates, Hume, Schopenhauer, Emerson, Rousseau, and the Buddha. Anyone interested in Nietzsche or the history of philosophy generally will find much of great interest in this volume.

Virtue and Knowledge - An Introduction to Ancient Greek Ethics (Hardcover): William J. Prior Virtue and Knowledge - An Introduction to Ancient Greek Ethics (Hardcover)
William J. Prior
R3,911 Discovery Miles 39 110 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Originally published in 1991, this book focuses on the concept of virtue, and in particular on the virtue of wisdom or knowledge, as it is found in the epic poems of Homer, some tragedies of Sophocles, selected writings of Plato, Aristotle, and the Stoic and Epicurean philosophers. The key questions discussed are the nature of the virtues, their relation to each other, and the relation between the virtues and happiness or well-being. This book provides the background and interpretative framework to make classical works on Ethics, such as Plato's Republic and Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, accessible to readers with no training in the classics.

Moral Values in the Ancient World (Hardcover): John Ferguson Moral Values in the Ancient World (Hardcover)
John Ferguson
R3,913 Discovery Miles 39 130 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

This book studies the pilgrimage of the Ancient World in its search for moral truth. After a brief examination of the values which dominated Homeric society and the subsequent aristocracies, the central portion of the book is an account and analysis of the moral ideas which illuminated the Greek, Roman and Hebrew worlds during the classical period. The volume discusses the cardinal virtues, the place of friendship, Plato's love, philanthropia and the moral insights of the Jewish prophets and subsequently examines Christian love.

The Greek Philosophers - From Thales to Aristotle (Hardcover): W.K.C. Guthrie The Greek Philosophers - From Thales to Aristotle (Hardcover)
W.K.C. Guthrie; Foreword by James Warren
R3,910 Discovery Miles 39 100 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

W.K.C. Guthrie has written a survey of the great age of Greek philosophy - from Thales to Aristotle - which combines comprehensiveness with brevity. Without pre-supposing a knowledge of Greek or the Classics, he sets out to explain the ideas of Plato and Aristotle in the light of their predecessors rather than their successors, and to describe the characteristic features of the Greek way of thinking and outlook on the world. Thus The Greek Philosophers provides excellent background material for the general reader - as well as providing a firm basis for specialist studies.

Selected Philosophical Papers by Ludwig Edelstein (Hardcover): Leonardo Taran Selected Philosophical Papers by Ludwig Edelstein (Hardcover)
Leonardo Taran
R5,096 R3,483 Discovery Miles 34 830 Save R1,613 (32%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Ludwig Edelstein (1902-1965) is well-known for his work on the history of anceint medicine and ancient philosophy, and to both of these areas he made contributions of primary importance. This collection, originally published in 1987, makes avaialable Edelstein's main papers to scholars and students, and includes papers from 1931-1965.

Language, Thought and Falsehood in Ancient Greek Philosophy (Hardcover): Nicholas Denyer Language, Thought and Falsehood in Ancient Greek Philosophy (Hardcover)
Nicholas Denyer
R3,907 Discovery Miles 39 070 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

This book, originally published in 1991, sets forth the assumptions about thought and language that made falsehood seem so problematic to Plato and his contemporaries, and expounds the solution that Plato finally reached in the Sophist. Free from untranslated Greek, the book is accessible to all studying ancient Greek philosophy. As a well-documented case study of a definitive advance in logic, metaphysics and epistemology, the book will also appeal to philosophers generally.

Post-Structuralist Classics (Hardcover): Andrew Benjamin Post-Structuralist Classics (Hardcover)
Andrew Benjamin
R3,914 Discovery Miles 39 140 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Modern literary theory is increasingly looking to philosophy for its inspiration. After a wave of structural analysis, the growing influence of deconstruction and hermeneutic readings continues to bear witness to this. This exciting and important collection, first published in 1988, reveals the diversity of approaches that mark the post-structuralist endeavour, and provides a challenge to the conventional practice of classical studies and ancient philosophy. This book will be of interest to students of ancient philosophy, classical studies and literary theory.

The Sceptics (Hardcover): R.J. Hankinson The Sceptics (Hardcover)
R.J. Hankinson
R3,940 Discovery Miles 39 400 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The Sceptics is the first comprehensive, up-to-date treatment of Greek scepticism, from the beginnings of epistemology with Xenophanes, to the final full development of Pyrrhonism as presented in the work of Sextus Empiricus. Tracing the evolution of scepticism from 500 B.C to A.D 200, this clear and rigorous analysis presents the arguments of the Greek sceptics in their historical context and provides an in-depth study of the various strands of the sceptical tradition.

Forms, Souls, and Embryos - Neoplatonists on Human Reproduction (Hardcover): James Wilberding Forms, Souls, and Embryos - Neoplatonists on Human Reproduction (Hardcover)
James Wilberding
R4,347 Discovery Miles 43 470 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Forms, Souls, and Embryos allows readers coming from different backgrounds to appreciate the depth and originality with which the Neoplatonists engaged with and responded to a number of philosophical questions central to human reproduction, including: What is the causal explanation of the embryo's formation? How and to what extent are Platonic Forms involved? In what sense is a fetus 'alive,' and when does it become a human being? Where does the embryo's soul come from, and how is it connected to its body? This is the first full-length study in English of this fascinating subject, and is a must-read for anyone interested in Neoplatonism or the history of medicine and embryology.

The Nicomachean Ethics (Paperback): Aristotle The Nicomachean Ethics (Paperback)
Aristotle; Translated by Adam Beresford 1
R345 R283 Discovery Miles 2 830 Save R62 (18%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

One of the most important philosophical works of all time, in a new Penguin Classics translation by Adam Beresford 'Right and wrong is a human thing' What does it mean to be a good person? Aristotle's famous series of lectures on ethical topics ranges over fundamental questions about good and bad character; pleasure and self-control; moral wisdom and the foundations of right and wrong; friendship and love in all their forms - all set against a rich and humane conception of what makes for a flourishing life. Adam Beresford's freshly researched translation presents many of Aristotle's key terms and idioms in standard English for the first time, and faithfully preserves the unvarnished style of the original.

Plato and the Creation of the Hebrew Bible (Hardcover): Russell E. Gmirkin Plato and the Creation of the Hebrew Bible (Hardcover)
Russell E. Gmirkin
R4,520 Discovery Miles 45 200 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Plato and the Creation of the Hebrew Bible for the first time compares the ancient law collections of the Ancient Near East, the Greeks and the Pentateuch to determine the legal antecedents for the biblical laws. Following on from his 2006 work, Berossus and Genesis, Manetho and Exodus, Gmirkin takes up his theory that the Pentateuch was written around 270 BCE using Greek sources found at the Great Library of Alexandria, and applies this to an examination of the biblical law codes. A striking number of legal parallels are found between the Pentateuch and Athenian laws, and specifically with those found in Plato's Laws of ca. 350 BCE. Constitutional features in biblical law, Athenian law, and Plato's Laws also contain close correspondences. Several genres of biblical law, including the Decalogue, are shown to have striking parallels with Greek legal collections, and the synthesis of narrative and legal content is shown to be compatible with Greek literature. All this evidence points to direct influence from Greek writings, especially Plato's Laws, on the biblical legal tradition. Finally, it is argued that the creation of the Hebrew Bible took place according to the program found in Plato's Laws for creating a legally authorized national ethical literature, reinforcing the importance of this specific Greek text to the authors of the Torah and Hebrew Bible in the early Hellenistic Era. This study offers a fascinating analysis of the background to the Pentateuch, and will be of interest not only to biblical scholars, but also to students of Plato, ancient law, and Hellenistic literary traditions.

Existential Dogs (Hardcover): Pesala Bandara Existential Dogs (Hardcover)
Pesala Bandara
R210 Discovery Miles 2 100 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

From the depths of their existential angst, these profound pooches ask some of the most pertinent questions of their time. 'What if I never find out who's a good boy?' 'Is it better to have eaten something and thrown it up, and then eaten it again, than never to have eaten it at all?' 'What if the tail I've been chasing all these years is really chasing me?' These are just a few of the philosophical questions plaguing these contemplative canines. Join them in their quest for the truth - can a soft toy cushion the harsh blow of reality? Is there a meaning to life, or is it all just about treats? Is the fleeting happiness that comes from playing with a ball worth the crushing disappointment when it's taken away? You'll never see life the same way again.

Stoics, Epicureans and Sceptics - An Introduction to Hellenistic Philosophy (Paperback): R. W. Sharples Stoics, Epicureans and Sceptics - An Introduction to Hellenistic Philosophy (Paperback)
R. W. Sharples
R1,113 Discovery Miles 11 130 Ships in 9 - 15 working days


Contents:
Preface Abbreviations 1. Hellenistic Philosophy: Aims, Context, Personalities, Sources 2. How do we know anything? 3. What is reality? 4. What are we? 5. How can I be happy? 6. What about other people? 7. Epilogue Suggestions for further reading Index

Stillness Is the Key (Hardcover): Ryan Holiday Stillness Is the Key (Hardcover)
Ryan Holiday
R401 R307 Discovery Miles 3 070 Save R94 (23%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days
Ancient Aesthetics (Paperback): Andrew Mason Ancient Aesthetics (Paperback)
Andrew Mason
R1,521 Discovery Miles 15 210 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Ancient thought, particularly that of Plato and Aristotle, has played an important role in the development of the field of aesthetics, and the ideas of ancient thinkers are still influential and controversial today. Ancient Aesthetics introduces and discusses the central contributions of key ancient philosophers to this field, carefully considering their theories regarding the arts, especially poetry, but also music and visual art, as well as the theory of beauty more generally. With a focus on Plato and Aristotle, the philosophers who have given us their thought about the arts at the greatest length, this volume also discusses Hellenistic aesthetics and Plotinus' theory of beauty, which was to prove very influential in later thought. Ancient Aesthetics is a valuable contribution to its field, and will be of interest to students of philosophy and classics.

Letters from a Stoic (Paperback, Reissue): Lucius Annaeus Seneca Letters from a Stoic (Paperback, Reissue)
Lucius Annaeus Seneca; Translated by Robin Campbell 1
R302 R246 Discovery Miles 2 460 Save R56 (19%) Ships in 9 - 15 working days

Ranging from lively epistles to serious essays, these 124 letters selected from Epistulae Morales and Lucilium espouse the philosophy of Stoicism. This volume includes Tacitus's account of Seneca's death.

Free Delivery
Pinterest Twitter Facebook Google+
You may like...
How to Give - An Ancient Guide to Giving…
Seneca Hardcover R465 R368 Discovery Miles 3 680
The Art of Rhetoric
Aristotle Paperback R95 R76 Discovery Miles 760
Courage Is Calling - Fortune Favors the…
Ryan Holiday Hardcover R699 R372 Discovery Miles 3 720
The Republic
Plato Paperback R217 R199 Discovery Miles 1 990
Letters from a Stoic
Lucius Seneca Paperback R76 Discovery Miles 760
Courage Is Calling - Fortune Favours The…
Ryan Holiday Paperback R275 Discovery Miles 2 750
Letters from a Stoic - The Ancient…
Seneca Hardcover R387 R283 Discovery Miles 2 830
The Spiritual Teachings of Marcus…
Mark Forstater Paperback R411 R339 Discovery Miles 3 390
The Children of Athena - Greek writers…
Charles Freeman Hardcover R909 R731 Discovery Miles 7 310
Meditations
Marcus Aurelius Paperback R240 R144 Discovery Miles 1 440

 

Partners